Perfect
by GreggosQueen
Summary: Nick and Sara have broken up and Nick thinks about how they got to that point. Also, a new case could either bring Nick and Sara back together or push them further apart.
1. Default Chapter

"**Perfect"**

**By GreggosQueen**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the characters.**

**Rating: PG**

Chap. 1

_And we'd laughed so much at that special on the Discovery Channel about elephant mating._

"And that's how my washing machine exploded," Greg concluded. He looked at Nick to see his reaction, and he wasn't even paying attention.

Waving his hands in front of Nick's face, Greg said, "Earth to Nick, anyone in there?"

_Back up. Did Greg just say something about an explosion?_

"Yeah man?" Nick said.

"You never heard a word I just said did you?"

"Sure I did. So was anyone hurt in the explosion?" Nick wasn't going to let Greg get anything past him.

Amused, Greg asked, "What have you heard?"

_Uh Oh! Okay play it cool._

"Not much man. I've been here most of the night. I haven't had the chance to catch the news."

Fighting back a grin, Greg said, "I don't think anyone was hurt. Soapsuds aren't deadly weapons."

_Soapsuds? What the...?_

He shot a glance at Greg and saw the smirk on his face. Nick chuckled and said, "Okay you caught me, I wasn't listening."

"No kidding, you looked like you were a million miles away."

"Yeah I've had a lot on my mind."

"I've noticed. You haven't been yourself for awhile now," Greg replied.

When Nick stayed silent, Greg took it as his cue to leave. "Well I better get going before Grissom catches me in here. I'll see you later."

Nick laughed as Greg scooted out of the breakroom. Greg was definitely unique, but he had been right about one thing. Nick hadn't been himself for a long time.

Nick's life was a mess. Two months ago, he'd ruined everything, and there was nothing he could do about it because she wouldn't take him back. It wasn't like he could blame her, it had been his fault. Nick was stirred from his thoughts, when he heard a noise.

Sara was making herself a cup of coffee, and she dropped it when she saw him.

Nick looked up and caught her eyes. It was only for a moment, but in her eyes he saw surprise and something else, was it love? He got up from the couch and walked over to her.

He moved to help her clean up the spilled coffee, but she glared at him and said, "I've got it." However, Nick ignored her and helped her clean up.

After they were finished, Nick touched her arm and said, "Sara, I..." Sara moved away from him and quickly left.

Nick watched her leave and wondered why he'd ruined the best thing in his life.

**To Be Continued**

Okay I know it's short, but I wanted to see if there was any interest in this story. Please let me know what you thought of it and if you would like to read more.


	2. The First Date

**A/N: Wow thanks so much for the reviews, it really means a lot to me. It's my first CSI story and I was really nervous about posting it. **

**Also, from now on in this story there's gonna be flashbacks and they'll be signaled by .**

**Anyways, on with the story..**

"**Perfect"**

**By GreggosQueen**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the characters. **

Chap. 2

Nick watched as Sara hurried out of the breakroom,

_Well that was a disaster._

Then again Sara's behavior didn't really surprise him, she'd been avoiding him for weeks now. They hadn't worked a case together since the break-up, and everyone seemed to understand that it was just too hard for them to be around each other.

For Sara, being around Nick reminded her of the life they would never have together.

Being around Sara, Nick thought about the good and the bad of their relationship. He remembered a time when he and Sara were crazy about each other. Granted, it hadn't happened right away. Nick and Sara had been friends for two years before they even went on their first date. And then it had just happened because Nick had wanted free food, but had overestimated his running skills.

_Sara and I used to jog together every morning and somehow she'd gotten me to make a bet with her._

Nick is bent over, with his hands on his knees and is breathing hard.

Sara jogs to him and playfully says, "Aw poor baby, did I wear you out?"

Nick stands up and says, "I'm fine, I was just giving you a head start."

'Riiight. You know cowboy, you really need to keep that hot body in shape."

"Sara are you flirting with me?"

Smiling, Sara says, "Maybe."

"Well stop it because I'm hungry, and I don't like being flirted with when I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry," she says with a laugh.

Nick readjusts his baseball hat and says, "Hey, I'm not hungry ALL the time!"

"Yes you are."

Nick just grins at Sara because he knows she's right.

She grins back and says, "Let's race to the park, the loser cooks the winner dinner."

"You're on."

_And Sara kicked my ass. Of course, I said that I lost because of my hunger, but Sara didn't buy that for a second. The truth is, Sara is a much better runner than me, yet I'll never admit that to her._

Nick chuckled as he remembered that day. He'd made Sara dinner at his place, and it had changed their relationship forever.

Nick lets out a deep breath, fixes his shirt and checks his hair in the mirror.

_Man, why am I so nervous? It's just Sara._

He looks around his apartment to see if everything is in place.

_Okay everything seems to be in place. Ah, that swimsuit magazine should go in the drawer. Sara doesn't need to see that tonight._

Nick moves to put the magazine in the drawer, and the doorbell rings.

_That must be Sara._

Nick looks at himself again in the mirror and answers the door.

Nick looks at Sara and for a second, he's breathless. She's wearing black pants and a red v-neck shirt, its so simple, yet so beautiful.

Nick stumbles, "You.. uh..you look good."

Sara grins and leans closer to Nick. "And you smell good."

"Stop flirting with me Sidle," Nick says with a chuckle as she enters the apartment.

She laughs and then notices him hiding something behind his back.

Amused, Sara asks, "Nick, is that for me?"

He then realizes he has the swimsuit magazine held behind his back.

_Oh boy!_

Nick doesn't know what to say, but tries to recover, "Uh, actually..its nothing really..."

Sara snatches it out of his hands and begins to laugh when she realizes what it is.

"Hmm.. A swimsuit magazine. You shouldn't have."

"Yeah well you know me" Nick says with a chuckle as he tries to take it out of her hands.

Sara is looking at the woman on the cover and says, "Those are so fake."

Amused, Nick asks, "How can you tell?"

"No woman's boobs are that perfect."

Nick glances at Sara's 'assets' and says, "Well..."

"Nick!" She says and punches him in the shoulder.

Nick is rubbing his shoulder while he says, "Ow, that hurt."

"Good."

Nick smirks at her and then notices the bottle of wine in her hands.

"I couldn't let you do all the work" Sara says as she hands the wine to him.

"Thanks" he says and then starts to walk into the kitchen.

"So what are you cooking for me tonight?"

"Hmm.. I thought we could order in, try that new Chinese place down the street."

"Nicholas Stokes! We are not ordering in. You owe me a home-cooked meal."

"Sara I don't cook. There's no food in my refrigerator."

She joins him in the kitchen and opens the refrigerator door, "You must have something we can eat."

"Oh my gosh, you weren't kidding. All you have is water, OJ, beer and bread."

Sara begins to go through his cupboards and says with a laugh, "Oh look, you have peanut butter too."

"Look I've got an idea, just go in the living room and make yourself comfortable."

Sara just gives Nick a look that clearly states that she thinks he's crazy.

"Go on now Sara, scoot."

"Alright, alright. I'm going.

Nick is left in the kitchen to ponder what exactly he's going to do.

_What am I going to do? Okay I could run down and get Chinese and.. But Sara knows I have no food, she saw my refrigerator. Damn!_

Nick lets out a heavy sigh.

_Move over Martha Stewart, Nicky Stokes has to get creative._

The next thing that Sara sees is Nick coming out of the kitchen, carrying plates and wine glasses.

He lays them down on the table.

Sara smirks at him and says, "Peanut butter sandwiches, very creative."

"Yeah really. I might give Martha Stewart a run for her money, huh?" Nick adds with a chuckle.

Sara laughs and then says "Seriously though, good choice."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I lived on these when I was a kid."

"You did?"

Sara says with a blush, "Yeah, I was a very picky child"

"Well it seems nothing's changed." Nick says with a laugh and moves before she can smack him.

"Ha ha. You're so funny." Sara says sarcastically.

Nick pours their wine and Sara smiles at him and then takes a bite of her sandwich.

Nick notices that she has peanut butter on her lips and when she licks her lips, he almost loses it.

_I'd love to lick that peanut...Whoa, what's wrong with me? This is Sara I'm thinking about. Co-worker Sara. Friend Sara. But she's so sexy. Stop it Nick!_

"Nick, you okay?"

_No I'm not okay, I'm lusting after my best friend. Does that sound like I'm okay to you?_

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

_No I'm not sure. Sara you're driving me crazy here. When all of a sudden, did I want my best friend? Ugh!_

"Yeah, I'm sure. So.. What do you think of Greg's music?"

Confused, Sara asks, "Greg's music?"

_I'm trying to change the subject Sara. Yeah Greg's music is a wacky subject to bring up, but I can't think right now, not when you're licking your lips like that.._

"Yeah, who really cares about Greg's music anyways" Nick says.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're acting stranger than usual. I think you're been around Greg too much" Sara says, trying to lighten the mood.

Nick chuckles and says, "Yeah, that must be it."

"Hey Nick, you want to finish our food by the fireplace?"

_Sara by the fire is a bad idea. Just say no!_

"Sure."

After three or so glasses of wine and lots of talk, Nick and Sara are lid on their sides facing each other on Nick's Texas rug.

Sara says, "Today, I walked in on Warrick and Catherine kissing in the lockerroom."

"No kidding! I didn't know they were together."

"Me either. You know, Warrick looks like he's a good kisser."

"Well I wouldn't know anything about that, but I've been told I'm a pretty good kisser myself."

_Nick, what are you doing? Stop talking right now._

"Really? Hm.. Maybe I should find that out for myself."

_What! Does she want me to kiss her? Ugh stop thinking. Just go for it man._

Nick slowly leans closer to Sara and is about to capture her lips, but instead she moves her head and he gets a face full of hair.

"Not yet," Sara says and then she starts to laugh.

_What a tease!_

Nick grins and licks her neck. He's satisfied when he hears her take a sharp breath.

_Take that!_

Nick pulls away from her abruptly and says, "It's getting late, maybe we should call it a night."

Sara is stunned, but tries to cover it with a smile, "Yeah you're right."

He leans in to kiss her and Sara closes her eyes, but instead he kisses her cheek. Sara is shocked and doesn't even try to hide it on her face.

_Two can play this game baby._

"Not yet" Nick says as he tries to hide his smirk.

Sara says, "Fine, I'll see you tomorrow."

"You can count on it."

Sara leaves Nick's apartment and as he closes the door, he begins to laugh.

_So she wants to play? Well let's play._

Thinking of their first date always brought a smile to Nick's face.

_Sara had smiled so much that night. I wish I could turn back time and make her happy._

To be continued...

Please read and review :)


	3. Memories

**I'm really sorry its been so long since an update. I've had serious writers block, yet this little chapter just all of a sudden came to me last night. I sat down for a long time and just wrote it. I really hope you like it.**

**Again, signals a flashback.**

"**Perfect"**

**By GreggosQueen**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or any of the characters.**

Chapter 3

After that first date, nothing had been the same between Nick and Sara. The flirtation between them increased and after a few embraces and kisses, they both knew they were falling in love.

Nick smiled as he remembered their first kiss. It had been amazing and everything he'd expected it to be; however, Greg had walked in on them.

_Greg actually didn't seem that surprised. He acted hurt and went on to accuse me of cheating on him and said that he was crossing me and Sara off his Christmas list. He then left the locker room with a laugh and yelled something about me and Sara getting a room._

It seemed that after Greg knew about Nick and Sara, the whole lab knew as well. However, Nick was in love with her and he didn't really care who knew. This was the first time he'd really thought about spending forever with someone and it warmed his heart to know that she felt the same way.

"You know Sar, I appreciate you stocking the fridge with food, I really do, but now I can't find anything."

"Aw poor baby, what's wrong?" Sara asks with a giggle as she walks over to Nick, who is looking in the refrigerator.

"I can't find the beer."

Sara laughs and motions for Nick to move, and then bends down and takes out two beers. She hands him a beer and Nick grins. "You let a woman move in and they take right over."

She slaps him on the arm and says, "I haven't take over."

"Sar, I have food in my fridge, candles on my tables and women's underwear in my sock drawer. Trust me when I say this, you've taken me over."

She quirks an eyebrow and says, "Well you weren't complaining last night."

Nick gives Sara his most beautiful smile and she just melts. He captures her lips with his and everything else seems to disappear. Sara absent-mindedly begins to play with the hair on the back of his neck and giggles when he moves his kiss down to her neck.

The telephone rings and Sara laughs as she hears Nick let out a groan. She leans over and picks it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sara. Nick around?"

"Warrick, hey. Sure, Nick's right here." Nick gives her a quick kiss and then moves off of her and takes the phone.

"Hey man. What's up?"

Sara decides to give Nick some privacy, so she goes into their bedroom.

Nick ends the phone call with Warrick a few minutes later and goes in search of Sara. He walks into their bedroom and sees her settled into their bed.

"Tired?"

"A little," Sara says with a yawn. "You coming to bed?"

"Yeah," Nick says as strips down to his boxers.

Sara sits up against the pillows and smiles at Nick as he lies on his side.

"While you were talking to Warrick, I was thinking. I really don't know that much about your family and I'd like to."

He smiles and asks, "What would you like to know?"

"Everything."

Nick grins and sits up beside her, "Okay...Well I'm the youngest of seven kids. I've got one brother and five sisters..."

Sara interrupts and says, "FIVE sisters? So that's why you're so girly."

"Excuse me, but aren't you the one who wanted to know about my family?" He asks with a grin.

"Right. I'm shutting up now," Sara smiles and then makes a zipping motion across her lips.

"Good," Nick says with a smile. "As I was saying, Mike's 40, Lisa is 38, Michelle is 36, Gabby's 35 and Julie and Jill are 33. And three years later, I was born."

"Your mother had seven kids in ten years. That's amazing, but I hope you don't expect that many out of me."

"Not seven, huh? Six? Five maybe?" Nick's surprised that she's brought up children because they haven't discussed it, but he's happy when he hears her reply, "Try two or three."

"Well I guess I'll take what I can get."

She smiles again and asks, "So what were the holidays like? I bet it was great with such a large family."

Nick's face seems to light up, when she mentions the holidays. "Christmas was the greatest. We used to wake mom and dad up at like two in the morning, and dad would make us go back to bed until four. At four, we'd all get up and open presents and afterwards, we'd go to Grandma and Grandpa Stokes'. We'd have another Christmas and open presents at their house and mom and Grandma would make breakfast."

"It sounds wonderful."

"It was." Nick then let out a chuckle, "When I was five, mom and dad got us new bikes for Christmas. We were going to take them out that afternoon, so me, Michelle, Gabby, Jill and Julie all went upstairs to get our helmets and Mike and Lisa thought it would be funny to take mom's pads out of the bathroom cabinet and stick them on our knees and elbows. We thought we were being safe, but when we went downstairs mom tried to scold Mike and Lisa; however, her and dad ended up laughing at what they'd done to us."

"Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. Please tell me there are pictures."

"There are, and if you tell Warrick or Greg that I had those things stuck on me, I'll never kiss you again."

"Tell Warrick or Greg what?" Sara asks with a grin.

Nick grins too and asks, "So what's your family like?"

The grin fades from her face and she says, "There's not much to tell. I have an older brother, his name is Brian."

"What's he like?"

Sara's posture seems to change and she becomes tense, "He's an alcoholic. Nick, my family's nothing like yours. We barely had meals together and when we did, all we did was fight...I don't have many good memories of my family."

She looks like she's about to cry and Nick takes her face in his hands. "Baby its okay. We'll make our own memories."

She looks him in the eyes and asks, "You promise?"

"Yeah I promise."

Sara seems satisfied with this and smiles a little. "It's getting late, I guess we should go to sleep, huh?"

"Yeah baby."

Nick lies down in their bed and Sara snuggles up next to him. He cuddles into her back and kisses her cheek.

"Love you."

"I love you too Sara."

Their life had been good; however, it was no fairytale. Nick and Sara sometimes argued, and they both had bad habits that they disliked about each other.

Nick hated that Sara stole the blankets and snored, when she slept. And Sara was annoyed by Nick when he drank from the OJ carton and forgot to put the cap back on the toothpaste.

Also, they both hated how the other always thought they were right.

Nothing was perfect, yet their life was good for a while.

**To Be Continued..**

**Please read and review. It really means a lot when you take the time to do both :)**


	4. Kick Nick Vol 1

A/N : I apologize for taking so long with an update, but the real world was a little stressful this week. This chapter will be broken up into two parts, Kick Nick Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.. Haha..Love you Mr. Tarantino! Your CSI finale ROCKED :)

"**Perfect"**

**By GreggosQueen**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI or the characters. Also, I am using quotes from the episodes 'Overload' and 'Stalker' and they do not belong to me. They belong to the talented writers of CSI. And Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 belong to Mr. Tarantino!**

**This > > signals flashbacks..**

**Chapter 4 : Kick Nick Vol. 1**

Many people thought Nick and Sara were the perfect couple, so the break-up had come as a shock. Some people assumed that another woman was involved and unfortunately, they were right. A woman from Nick's past had come to Vegas, and her presence had signaled the end of his relationship with Sara.

He had met this woman when he was nine years old and she had hurt him immensely. She'd been a last minute baby-sitter and had molested him. Before he had met this woman, Nick had been innocent and trusting; however, after the molestation he was left sad and insecure. He'd accepted what had happened to him, yet a part of him would always hate her. She'd taken away his innocent view of the world and replaced it with the harsh reality that all people weren't good and trustworthy, that the world could be cruel and unkind.

Nick had been ashamed and; therefore, he hadn't told anyone what had happened. The molestation was one of the reasons he'd wanted to be involved in law enforcement. He wanted to protect people. However, sometimes children got hurt and those were the cases that really affected Nick. They made him remember his own painful memories and, he needed to get them the justice he never had.

Last year Nick had worked a hard case with Catherine. Dylan Buckley had been found in his psychiatrist's home and it had looked like he'd been molested and murdered. Although it turned out to be an accident, Nick had taken it badly. He'd been reminded of his own past and he had confided in Catherine.

> >

Nick says, "Okay. There are some people you're supposed to be able to trust, you know? I was nine. And she was a last-minute baby-sitter. All I can remember doing afterwards is sitting in my room in the dark, staring at the door waiting for my mom to get home. But I've never told anyone before." (This from Season 2, the episode 'Overload'.. It's not mine!)

> >

Her name was Joanne Connors and again she would shake Nick's life upside down. She appeared in Vegas and was involved in a case that he was working on with Sara.

> >

Nick is driving himself and Sara back to the lab. They'd been called to a crime scene where 12 year old Jacob Larson had been murdered in his bedroom. All they knew was that the TOD was approximately 2 am and there had been forced entry. Jacob's bedroom window had been forced open; however, there were no prints. Also, Sara had collected white fibers from his nose and mouth. Nick hated cases that involved children and he let out a long sigh.

Concerned, Sara asks, "Hey baby, you okay?"

He tries to smile and says, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

He's touched by her concern and gives her hand a squeeze. "Don't worry about me, I'll be okay."

She gives him a small smile and then says, "It's a tough case. I don't know how anyone could hurt a child."

"Me either," Nick says and then remembers his baby-sitter leaving his room after she'd touched him. He tries to focus on something else and pulls into the parking lot.

They both get out of the vehicle and he moves to get their kits out of the backseat, but Sara stops him. She grabs his hand and then gives him a quick kiss.

"I love you Nicky."

He pulls her into his arms and for a second, he just holds her. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know."

His cell phone rings , so she takes it off his belt and hands it to him. With one arm still around her waist, he answers the phone. "Stokes. Yeah Doc, we'll be right there."

He ends the call and she asks, "Doc Robbins is ready for us?"

He just nods and they reluctantly head into the lab. Nick checks in with Grissom and Sara takes her white fibers down to Greg. They then head down to see Doc Robbins.

"So Doc, he was suffocated?"

"It certainly looks that way. Petechial hemorrhaging in the eyes, deoxygenation led to cyanosis; hence the blue lips, blue fingertips and blue face." (This line by Doc Robbins is from Season 2, the episode 'Stalker', for I know nothing about forensic science. It's not mine, belongs to CSI).

"Well we did find white fibers in his nose and mouth," Nick says.

"Yeah, I found them in his throat as well."

"So he was smothered with something consisting of white fibers. That could be practically anything" Sara says with a sigh.

"Good thing that's your job and not mine, huh?"

"Yeah, thanks Doc. We'll see you later."

As Nick and Sara are leaving the autopsy room, Sara's cell phone rings.

"Sidle. Hey Jim, Nick and I are just leaving Doc Robbins. Sure, we'll be there soon."

Sara ends the call and she says to Nick, "Brass has the Larson's at the PD. He wants us to meet him down there to talk to them."

"Okay."

Fifteen minutes later, they meet Brass at the PD and they watch the Larson's inside the interrogation room. Brass begins to talk to Nick and Sara, but Nick isn't listening. He's looking at Mrs. Larson, she looks oddly familiar. He follows Brass and Sara into the room and is istantly struck with memories.

That perfume.

It was something he hadn't smelled in so long, but he remembered it.

Her perfume had engulfed every room she was in and this room was no exception.

Nick vaguely hears Brass introduce him and Sara to the Larson's.

Sara says, "So Mrs. Larson, you..."

Nick's eyes reach her face and she interrupts Sara, "Call me Joanne."

He feels like he's being suffocating himself.

_Oh My God...This can't be happening...This can't be her..._

Nick flashes back to when he was nine.

"I'm so glad you could come on such short notice. Our regular baby-sitter is sick."

"It's no problem," she says with a cheesy smile.

Nick's mother bends down and kisses her son. "Now Nicky, you be good for Miss Connors."

Nick smiles at his mother, "I will mom."

She cuts in, "We'll be fine. We'll play lots of games."

Nick smiles, "See mom, me and Miss Conners will be fine."

His mother hugs him and says, "Okay, well we won't be home too late. Love you sweetie."

"Love you mom."

Nick's mother leaves and he then asks, "Miss Connors, can we make popcorn?"

She laughs, "Yes we can and, what's with this Miss Connors stuff? You can call me Joanne."

_But it is her...She's really here..._

**To Be Continued**

I'm sorry to stop there, but I really want to know what you think of it so far. Please leave reviews! I want to start Vol. 2 really soon and reviews encourage me to write faster :)


	5. Chapter 5

Hi,

I'm sorry that it's been literally forever since I've updated this story. I was reading this story today and I got some great ideas for future chapters. However, since it has been forever, I was wondering if there were any readers still around!

If anyone is interested in reading, I'd like to you know

Gina


	6. Chapter 6

Perfect by GreggosQueen

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or the characters. I am only using the characters for my enjoyment.

SPOILER ALERT: Most of this story will now be told from the past. Nick and Sara are still a couple when they are working this case. This case will be a big reason as to why they broke up in the first place.

Chapter 6

Sara is talking to Mrs. Larson, but Nick doesn't understand what they are saying.

He's in a fog. He can't breathe.

He needs to breathe.

_I need to get out of here._

Nick looks in Brass' direction and says in a hurried breathe, "I'm gonna go check in with Hodges, you can handle this right?"

He doesn't wait for a response. He leaves the interrogation room and quickly makes his way out of the station.

The cool air hits his face and he takes a deep breath. It feels like the first breath he's taken since seeing that woman.

Nick is sitting in his Denali, the memories are flooding his mind. Flashes of what that woman did to him are invading his senses.

_I can feel her skin on mine. I can feel her pulling my pajama bottoms down my legs. I can see that smile and hear her words. _

"_This is our little secret Nicky, you wouldn't want mommy and daddy to know that you were a bad boy, now would you?"_

_After she was done, she closed the door to my bedroom and I remember crying in the dark. _

He hears a car door slam and his eyes go to the direction of the noise. The Larsons' are leaving the station. He locks his gaze on her and lets himself really look at Joanne Connors. Her blonde hair is in a ponytail and she's wearing brown rimmed glasses. She's aged and has gotten thinner. She looks up at the exact moment and Nick is caught staring. She gives him a peculiar look, like maybe she recognizes her first victim.

The car pulls out of the parking lot and Nick's train of thought quickly returns to the case, to the real reason that his molester was in the station, 12 year old Jacob Larson was murdered. He has sick feeling in his stomach because he knows that she was involved.

_Pull yourself together. You have to a case to focus on. A 12 year old boy was murdered and you have to find out what happened. _

Nick's thoughts are interrupted by a tapping on the vehicle's window. He rolls down the window and is face to face with a confused Sara.

"Hey, what are you doing out here? I thought you were gone to see Hodges."

"I got caught up in a phone call." He doesn't look her in the eye because this is the first of many lies that he knows he will tell her.

Nick continues, "I actually think we should head back to the crime scene. I feel like we're missing something."

Sara gets in the passenger side of his truck and he begins to ask her questions about the interrogation.

Sara informed him that they were talking to Mark and Joanne Larson. Jacob's mother died when he was a baby, so Joanne is the only mother he's ever known. Jacob was a good boy and well liked by everyone in the neighborhood. They were really upset by what happened and want their son's murderer to be brought to justice.

Nick processes this information in his brain, Jacob's stepmother is a molester and he's been murdered.

In Jacob's bedroom, they look for evidence that will shed light on the case.

"Okay, let's review what we know. The murderer entered through Jacob's bedroom window because there are signs of forced entry. There was a struggle because his school books and lamp have been knocked over. The killer grabs him, pins him to the bed and suffocates him," Sara says.

_The killer could have easily staged this to look like an outside intruder did this_.

"If there was a struggle, why didn't anyone hear anything? He would have screamed or made some kind of noise. What if Jacob was asleep in his bed when he was attacked and he couldn't fight his attacker? My gut is telling me that we should take a closer look at the parents."

"The parents were both sleeping, they didn't hear anything. What motive could they have for killing their own son?" Sara questions.

"Stepson, he was her stepson."

"We have to follow the evidence Nick, and the evidence isn't telling me that the parents did this. Why is this case getting to you so much? You run out of the interrogation room this morning and now you're sure that the parents did this."

_She's starting to question my behavior, I can't share this with her. _

"Sara, I have to go. Can you finish up here?"

"Nick."

Nick kisses Sara on the cheek and as he's heading out the door, he says, "I have something that I have to do, I'll see you at your apartment later."

Hours later…….

_It's been hours since I went to Doc Robbins and asked him to check the child for signs of sexual abuse. In my mind, I'm hoping that I'm wrong about her and that this boy did not endure her abuse like I did. _

_However Doc Robbins confirmed my suspicions, Jacob had been sexually abused multiple times. _

_This case has just gone from bad to worse and there's no one that I can turn to. _

_I'm supposed to meet Sara at her apartment, but I don't have the answers to her questions. I'm ashamed of what happened to me, I can't tell anyone that I love. She can never know what happened to that nine year old boy all those years ago. _

Preview for what's to come: Nick let's someone in on his suspicions and opens up about what he's going through.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get an update out to you guys. Thank you for your kind words, I apologize for not updating sooner!

I'd appreciate a review to let me know that this chapter wasn't entirely crappy haha. I'd like know what you think of the plot and if you like the use of Nick's italicized thoughts. Thanks for reading. I promise to try and write longer chapters!


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